Free To Be ME

In the last few weeks of working with a new career consultant and networking a bit it's beginning to occur to me that I may be coming across as over qualified or too much of a "swiss army knife" to be an easy sale to future employers. 

I am beginning to think I need to focus on my core skills and look for all the ways in which those skills can be sold: consulting, contracting, being employed, or sub-contracting.

Given all that I've learned I think the best approach is: be ME; meaningfully connect as ME with successful folks who can appreciate my personality and professional attributes;  try to surface problems that I can solve (and figure out the role/title/pay details AFTER impressing them); then, rinse and repeat. 

After all, I am ME, right?  I've been afraid to be that, all my life. I've been conditioned to keep ME in the background; to be apologetic about ME; to serve THEM. And in the end, I out myself continually, or feel suffocated by the compromise I've made. The anguish that creates is then passed along to my friends, co-workers, and family. 

Given all that I've learned and what I've experienced recently, I think that's the best approach: be ME; meaningfully connect as ME with successful folks who can appreciate my personality and professional attributes;  try to surface problems that I can solve (and figure out the role/title/pay details AFTER impressing them); then, rinse and repeat. 

I think that'll yield a substantially better set of outcomes than what I've experienced in the past. It'll be interesting, for sure. I try not to think about how scary this approach is. 

All this made me realize why I've been afraid to meditate at times. I haven't wanted to connect with ME - just get access to some tricks and tips on how to be more successful in business. 

What I need to do most as a person right now is be an expert at being ME, knowing how to navigate the increasingly challenging waters of parenthood, professionalism, marriage, homeownership, friendship, and everything else coming my way (like the uncertain health of my father, for one example).

The more of ME I let out for public consumption (in a healthy and responsible way) the more I actually see how people respond. It's kinda positive. They like it. AND perhaps most importantly, it's waaaay more sustainable than how I've conducted relationships in the past.